Dispensing container and blank



June 19, 1962 H. M. HILL 3,039,669

DlsPENsING CONTAINER AND BLANK Filed Nov. 20, 1961 United States Patent O 3,939,669 DISPENSING CONTAINER AND BLANK Howard M. Hill, Hamilton, Va. Filed Nov. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 153,569 7 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) This invention relates to containers for liquids and more particularly to fibre containers of the dispensing type having a santiary shield for the dispensing area and suited for high speed manufacture in a processing plant, as for instance a dairy.

Iin some respects this invention constitutes an improvement upon the container disclosed in my copending application in the United States Patent Office under Serial Number 145,875, tiled on October 18, 1961, titled Dispensing Container and Closure Therefor.

An object of this invention is to provide a container having the body, bottom, top, a santiary shield, and a closure for a dispensing opening made from a single blank.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simplilied layout of material Ithat is easily and rapidly cut and formed.

Another object of -this invention is lto provide economy of material through the utilization of material usually scrapped.

A further object of this invention is to provide a container made from a single blank and easily set up in a milk processing plant.

Another object of -this invention is to provide a container that is easily set up in a milk processing plant and that conforms to the requirements of all health oiiicials.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent as it is better understood from the following description which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses Ia preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE l is a plan view of the blank lfrom which the contaner is made with the lower end of the blank broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the blank of FIGURE 1 after folding and gluing operations on the top closure;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the upper end of the container after the side seam has been made up, with the lower end o-f the container broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective -view of the upper end of a finished container with the lower end broken away;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View of the upper'end of a finished container opened for filling or dispensing the contents, with the lower end broken away;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view to a larger scale taken substantially along the lines 6-6 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is -a cross-sectional View similar to FIG- URE 6 but showing an alternate closure for the filling and dispensing opening.

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention FIGURES l to 7 inclusive of the drawings illustrate a container of rectangular cross-section comprising a fibre tubular body 11 having four side walls closed at its upper end with an integral at fibre filling and dispensing top closure 12 with closure protective members. The bottom end of the container may be closed in any suitable manner.

The container blank (FIG. l) is comprised of a substantially rectangular body forming area 13 having live side wall panels 14, 15, 16, 17, `and 18 set off by vertical score lines 19, 20, 21, and 22 and an integral top closure flap 12 hinged in a score line 23 to the upper edge of panel 17. Top closure flap 12 is rectangular in shape and in the embodiment shown in the drawings is a square having a side equal to the width of one side wallpanel.

Articulated to a Vertical edge of top closure ap 12 in a scoreline 26 is a second top closure flap 24 of the same size and configuration as top closure flap 12. Herein lies a great advantage of the present disclosure over that of my copending application of October 18, 1961, mentioned above. In that disclosure an auxiliary top closure flap of greater size than the top closure flap and of different configuration was used. The present disclosure of the use of second top closure flap of the same size and configuration as the first top closure flap results in a saving of paper and simplification of the tools used in manufacture through the elimination of irregular shapes and angular cuts, though all the valuable features of the earlier disclosure are retained including overhanging protective lips. Second top closure ilap 24 is divided into two substantially triangular areas 30 and 31 by a score line 25 in spaced relationship to `and parallel with a diagonal of auxiliary top closure member 24 and extending from the upper limiting edge of second top closure flap 24 to vertical score line 26 which is co-extensive with body corner score 21 and short cut line 27. Horizontal cut line 28 -co-extensive with `body edge 29 and wi-th horizontal sc ore line 23 separates the lower edge of second top closure flap 24 from the upper edge 29 of body forming area 13 `and ltogether with short cut line 27 permits hinging of triangular area '30 about score line 25. A vertical score line 32 (parallel with vertical edge 33 of substantially triangular area 30) and a horizontal score line 34 (intersecting line 32 at one end and intersecting angularl score line 25 and vertical score line 26 at the other end) set off two rectangular areas 35 and 36 which in the flnished container will become overhanging protective lips for the pouring corner. A filling and dispensing opening 37 is perforated in a corner of top closure llap 12 adjacent its upper edge 38 and adjacent vertical score 26. This location of the filling and dispensing opening in a corner remote from the line of attachment of the top closure flap 12 to the body forming area. 13 leads to the advantage that the overhanging lips 35 and 36 are removed from the area of neck-in as shown in FIGURE 3. 'I'he disc 39 perforated from opening '37 may be retained in the opening `for use as part of a two layer plug as disclosed in my earlier yabove mentioned application. An opening 40 is perforated in a corner of second top closure ap 24 adjacent its upper edge which is coextensive with edge 38 of top closure flap 12 and adjacent vertical score line 26 in such a position that openings 37 and 40 register at least in part when triangular area 31 and top closure flap 12 are in folded relation. The disc 41 perforated from opening 40 may be retained in lthe opening for use as a part of a two layer plug as disclosed in my copending application under Serial Number 145,875. The upper end of body blank 13 is scored for yforming in a line 42 parallel with and in spaced relationship to edge 29.

The first operation in the manufacture of this container is a folding of second top closure flap 24 (FIG. l) about score line 26 in a direction toward the plane of the paper through an arc of degrees and adhesively securing triangular area 31 to a corresponding area of top closure flap 12. Next, substantially triangular area 30 is hinged about score line 25 through an arc of 180 degrees to assume the position of FIGURE 2 with lip forming members 35 and 36 overhanging edges 38 and 26 respectively of top closure iiap 12. In the next operation side wall panels 14, 15, |16, and 18 are lifted out of the plane of the paper and wrapped about a rectangular mandrel and glued at side seam 43 and the upper end of Ibody 1.1 is necked-in and flanges 44 are turned outwardly to assume the form of FIGURE 3. Hinging top closure iiap 12 about score line 23 until contact is made with lianges 44 -and adhesively joining these members completes the container as showin in FIGURE 4.

To fill the container triangular area 3i) is hinged back exposing filling and dispensing opening 37-40 through which a product may be introduced. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 6 of the drawings the two discs 39 and 41 perforated from the openings 37 and 40 have been glued to each other and the upper surface of disc 41 has been glued to the under surface of triangular area 30 (FIGS. 5 and 6). This is in accordance with the disclosure made in my prior application under Serial Number 145,875 but any type of plug may be used or the under surface of triangular area 30 may be glued to the upper surface of triangular area 31 after filling to effect a closure of the filling and dispensing opening without a plug of any kind. After this closing operation overhanging lips 35 and 36 may be crimped under tianges 44 (FIG. 6) to further secure the closure.

To dispense the contents of the container, overhanging lips 35 and 36 -are loosened with the thumb and index finger and triangular area 30 is hinged back either withdrawing a plug from the filling and dispensing opening or breaking the seal between triangular areas 30 and 31 thereby exposing the filling and dispensing opening.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a cross section through an alternate type of closure for the filling and dispensing opening in which triangular area 30 is drawn down into the filling and dispensing opening to form a plug, and the lower end of the plug so formed has been expanded outwardly to hold it securely Within the opening after filling. The Inaterial needed to form this type of plug is drawn in from the overhanging lips 35 and 36 and results in a shorter overhang as shown in FIGURE 7.

It is thought 4that the invention and most of its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the form hereinbefore described being a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A blank of sheet material for a tubular rectangular container comprising a rectangular area scored vertically on four parallel lines defining five rectangular side Wall panels, three of said side wall panels of equal width and the remaining two of less than full width and designed to overlap in a side seam when said blank is in folded rectangular tubular form, a horizontal score line defining a narrow rectangular flange forming area extending the full Width of the upper edge of said rectangular side wall panels, and a first liap of rectangular configuration and side dimensions equal to the width of one of said three equal width side wall panels and extending from the upper edge of one of said three equal width side wall panels and having an opening in a corner remote from said upper edge of said side wall panel and adjacent a side edge of said flap forming a line of articulation o-f a second flap of similar size and configuration to said first iiap, a vertical score line paralleling said line of articulation and spaced inwardly from a side edge of said second flap remote from said line `of articulation and setting off a rectangular lip forming area, and an intersecting horizontal score line paralleling and spaced inwardly from an edge of said second flap nearest said upper edge of said side wall panels and setting off a second lip forming area, and a diagonal score line connecting the ends of said vertical and horizontal score lines, and an opening in said second flap in a position to register at least in part with said opening in said first flap 'when said flaps are juxtaposed.

2. The blank claimed in claim 1 wherein said four vertical score lines set ofi" four equal width side wall panels and a narrow side seam flap.

3. The blank claimed in claim l wherein container bottom closure lforming flaps are articulated to the lower edges of said side wall panels.

4. A container comprising the blank claimed in claim 3 folded and glued to form a receptacle having four side walls and a bottom closure and a dispensing top closure.

5. A container of rectangular tubular form side seamed and having a necked-in area adjacent its upper end and closed at its ends by integral top and bottom closure flaps, said top closure fiaps including a first flap of full cross sectional area articulated to an upper edge of one body side wall of said container and having an opening therein remote from said line of articulation to said body side wall and adjacent a vertical line of articulation of a second flap to said first flap, said second fiap of substantially the same size and configuration as said first flap and having an opening therein positioned to register at least in part with said opening in said first flap forming a filling and dispensing opening, and -a diagonal line of fold dividing said second flap into a first triangular area having said opening therein, said first triangular area folded about said line of articulation of said second iiap to said first flap and adhesively attached to said first flap, and a second triangular area said second triangular area folded about said diagonal line of fold and forming a protective shield over said first triangular area of said second fiap, and having two lips overhanging two adjacent corner edges of said first triangular area and folded thereunder.

6. The container claimed in claim 5 wherein discs perforated from said opening in said first flap and said opening in said first triangular area of said second flap are adhered to each other and to the under side of said second triangular area of said second flap and form a plug for said filling and dispensing opening.

7. The container claimed in claim 5 wherein said second triangular area of said second flap is drawn forming an integral plug for said filling and dispensing opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,678,596 Taylor Mar. 9, 1954 2,791,364 Bergstein et al. May 7, 1957 2,911,135 Mercer Nov. 3, 1959 3,029,009 Hill Apr. l0, 1962 

